Archive for April, 2013

From Iron Man to Wolverine, with a healthy helping of the Man of Steel in between, the summer of 2013 is certainly not short of big budget superhero movies — like most every summer of the past decade. But for those looking for something different, the next few months will offer variety, too — the sequel to “Star Trek,” the return of “The Lone Ranger,” the monsters versus robots action of “Pacific Rim” and more. There’s truly a film for everyone, so pass the popcorn and get ready for …May 3“Iron Man 3” — Robert Downey Jr. makes his fourth film appearance as billionaire superhero Tony Stark (five if you count his “The Incredible Hulk” cameo), this time not under director Jon Favreau but series newcomer Shane Black, writer of “Lethal Weapon.” With RDJ hinting that this may be his last solo mission in the armor, fan expectations and anticipation are high, but can this one live up to the sky-high grosses of “Marvel’s The Avengers”? (Related: ‘Iron Man 3’ taps into comic book beginnings)

May 10“The Great Gatsby” — Baz Lurhmann’s multimillion dollar adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel was originally supposed to come out in December, but was pushed back to May to avoid “scheduling conflicts.” Usually it’s a bad sign when a film is delayed, but Warner Bros. seems to be showing confidence by scheduling this one for the summer — though even with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire it’ll have to work hard to avoid getting steamrolled by the “Iron Man” juggernaut.

May 17“Star Trek Into Darkness” — Perhaps the summer’s most anticipated sequel sees director JJ Abrams return to pilot the Enterprise he rebooted, before warping off to tackle the “Star Wars” universe. With the addition of “Sherlock” star Benedict Cumberbatch as the villain, this new “Trek” promises to be as action-packed and exciting as its predecessor — though some of us still wonder what happened to the more cerebral, less bang bang “Trek” we grew up with. (P.S. That title is still stupid.)

May 24“Fast & Furious 6” — The gang’s all here. Again. The blockbuster success of “Fast Five” back in 2011 ensured another outing for Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and the rest of the cast of this car porn cornucopia, including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, reprising his role introduced in the last movie. Also returning is Michelle Rodriguez, whose presumed-dead Letty turned up very much alive in “Five”’s post-credits cookie. (Uh, spoiler?)

“Epic” — The new film from Blue Sky Studios, who brought the world “Ice Age” and “Robots,” this animated adventure is based on William Joyce’s young adult novel “The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs” — which is easily a way better title than “Epic.” The usual cast of oddly matched celebrities (Amanda Seyfried, Beyoncé, Christoph Waltz, Steven Tyler) lend their voices. As the summer’s first family film, this is probably well-positioned to rake in the kiddie audience until “Monsters University” drops in June.

“The Hangover Part III” — Yeah, pretty much everyone in the world was disappointed by II. Is there any reason to hope III will be any better? Maybe — this time they’ve junked the “Oh, no, we got drugged again” motif and made it a road trip where hapless pal Doug gets kidnapped. And everyone says this is the final film in the series, so hopefully director Todd Phillips is inspired to send the franchise out on a high note.

May 31“After Earth” — The world’s ending a lot these days. In this one, generations after abandoning the planet, a father and son (Will Smith and his “Karate Kid” son Jaden) crash land on Earth after 1,000 years of humanity’s absence. Director M. Night Shyamalan could use a hit, but coming out in the middle of a crowded summer — with bigger movies opening all around it — chances are “After Earth” will get lost in the shuffle.

May 31: 'Now You See Me' - photo courtesy Summit Entertainment.

“Now You See Me” — A group of magicians led by Jesse Eisenberg commits dazzling heists in front of a full audience, and an FBI agent played by Mark Ruffalo is determined to stop them. With a supporting cast including Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Woody Harrelson, the marketing seems to be aiming for an “Ocean’s Eleven” vibe, minus that film’s dominating star power and Vegas locale.

June 7“The Purge” — Here’s a horror concept for you — in a future where overpopulation runs rampant, the government has sanctioned a yearly 12-hour period where all crime, including murder, is legal. A family led by Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey try to survive the night. It’s an intriguing (if depressingly nihilistic) idea for a movie, though writer/director James DeMonaco’s resume — “Jack,” “Skinwalkers” — doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.

“The Internship” — Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson team up again to play a pair of downsized salesmen who, desperate to get a foot in the door, accept an unpaid internship at Google. Given the state of the economy and how many face such issues, a canny script would seem to have a strong chance of resonating with a large audience. Too bad that, judging by the trailer, the film aims instead for the lowest common denominator in its humor. Still, Vaughn and Wilson have spun gold out of straw before.

June 12“This is the End” — Let’s get meta: A group of R-rated comedy actors team up for an R-rated comedy where they play themselves as the world is ending around them. Yep, another apocalypse. Based on a short film made by Jay Baruchel and Seth Rogen, the full version includes them, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Michael Cera, Emma Watson and many, many more. Star-studded and potentially hilarious, but then, so was “Movie 43.”

June 14“Man of Steel” — It has been a mere seven years since the last attempt to reboot Superman, must be time to try again. This time, though, comes with the input of a few new creative minds — director Zach Snyder (“300,” “Watchmen”) and producer Christopher Nolan (the “Dark Knight” trilogy). The most recent trailer certainly looks a little darker than Superman films past, but also captures the majesty and hope that the character represents. Have Nolan and Snyder found the balance that will make the Man of Steel soar again?

June 21“World War Z” — An adaptation of Max Brooks’ gripping zombie apocalypse novel, this Brad Pitt-produced-and-starring film has had its fair share of troubles in production, including multiple rewrites and last-minute reshoots leading to it being pushed back six months. Fans of the book have also noted how the novel’s journalistic approach has seemingly been shelved for what seems like a “War of the Worlds” retread. Good news: Director Marc Forster has much experience with excellent human drama (“Monster’s Ball,” “Finding Neverland”). Bad news: He also directed “Quantum of Solace,” pretty universally considered the weakest of Daniel Craig’s Bond run.

June 21: 'Monsters University' - photo courtesy Disney.

“Monsters University” — Pixar once again dips its toe into the franchise well, revisiting 2001’s classic “Monsters, Inc.” characters when they first met while attending college. John Goodman and Billy Crystal both return, and the younger setting seems to give the enterprise a fresher feel than a straight sequel would have. The last time Pixar revamped things for a follow-up, it gave the world “Cars 2” — but either way, expect “MU” to make a mint at the box office.

June 28“White House Down” — No, you’re not having déjà vu, terrorists are taking over the White House again. This time, director Roland Emmerich (maker of subtle dramas like “Independence Day” and “The Day After Tomorrow”) oversees the action, with Channing Tatum as the heroic soldier and Jamie Foxx as the endangered president. The success of “Olympus Has Fallen” shows that this concept can be successful — but twice in the same calendar year?

“The Heat” — Sandra Bullock and red hot comedian Melissa McCarthy team up as a pair of investigators looking to take down a Russian mobster. This is only Bullock’s second big film after her Oscar win for “The Blind Side,” and it seems to be a retreat to familiar territory (see “Miss Congeniality” 1 and 2), while McCarthy’s star power is so hot she made the mediocre-at-best “Identity Theft” into a smash.

July 3“Despicable Me 2” — The minions are back! This animated sequel sees Gru (again voiced by Steve Carell) recruited by the Anti-Villain League to fight a big baddie voiced by Al Pacino. The original film proved a surprisingly big box office hit, and Universal is showing a lot of confidence putting the sequel on Fourth of July weekend. “Monsters” will likely be the summer’s biggest family film, but “Despicable” may not be far behind.

“The Lone Ranger” — Disney is hoping to recapture that “Pirates of the Caribbean” magic by reuniting director Gore Verbinski with Johnny Depp, who plays Tonto to Armie Hammer’s masked avenger. There has been plenty of controversy surrounding whether having Depp portray the Native American Tonto is racist — a fair question. The trailer features enough slam-bang action and over-the-top set pieces to appeal to the masses, but whether it will hit as big as “Pirates” is still open for debate.

July 3: 'The Lone Ranger' - photo courtesy Disney.

July 12“Grown Ups 2” — Time for a sequel to the 2010 comedy hit. Um, yay. This one has almost all the original cast back (Rob Schneider bowed out), and focuses on the kids’ last day of school. Oddly, this is Adam Sandler’s first sequel in more than 20 years of stardom, and of all the franchises to revisit, the cry to reprise “Grown Ups” seems like it should have been rather faint. Still, Sandler has a tendency to draw fans no matter what, especially with Kevin James and Chris Rock as backup again.

“Pacific Rim” — Giant monsters fighting giant robots. Seriously, what more do you need to know? Now, this one is from Guillermo del Toro, the amazing director of “Pan’s Labyrinth” and the “Hellboy” franchise, and the incredible special effects are a far cry from your papa’s “Godzilla” films. Can del Toro elevate epic clashes of huge beasts into something relatable on a human level? Then again, does he even have to? It’s robots fighting monsters, for pete’s sake!

July 17“Turbo” — The summer’s animated fare from DreamWorks sees a garden snail voiced by Ryan Reynolds who dreams of becoming the fastest snail in the world. This one has already been franchised out, with an animated series based upon the movie ready to debut on Netflix this winter. But in a crowded summer for kids flicks, will “Turbo” be left in the dust?

July 19“R.I.P.D.” — Speaking of Ryan Reynolds, here he is again as a cop who gets gunned down and is resurrected to join a team of undead detectives, including Jeff Bridges. (Get it? “Rest In Peace Department”?) The poster, the teaming up of a young star with a veteran, the sci-fi/action/comedy concept — it all feels like a “Men in Black” offshoot, and just like MIB, this one’s based on a comic book. But action fans probably have bigger fish to fry this weekend.

July 19: 'R.I.P.D.' - photo courtesy Universal Studios.

“RED 2” — Yep, time for the sequel, and most everybody is back, with a few new additions including Catherine Zeta-Jones and Anthony Hopkins. The director this time is Dean Parisot, whose limited filmography (“Galaxy Quest,” “Fun with Dick and Jane”) doesn’t give much indication of how he’ll handle the action of this one, but with how much fans adored the original, this sequel probably has little to worry about.

July 26“The Wolverine” — Hugh Jackman returns for his fifth portrayal of Marvel’s most lovable badass (sixth if you count his “First Class” cameo), this time traveling to Japan and suffering from the loss of his lauded healing powers. The last go round, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” wasn’t exactly well-received among the fandom, so the creators are taking great pains to make this feel like a totally different film — and if the action’s up to par, it might send the summer out on a high note.

July 31“The Smurfs 2” — Sigh. You know what’s really sad? This is going to be Jonathan Winters’ final film. The second of an apparent trilogy(!) sees Smurfette (again Katy Perry) being courted by evil Smurf clones created by Gargamel. I can’t believe I actually just wrote that sentence.

July 31: 'The Smurfs 2' - photo courtesy Sony Pictures Animation.

August
As the summer season starts to fizzle out, here are a few more titles: The kinda-sequel “300: Rise of an Empire,”“2 Guns” with Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, the futuristic action film “Elysium” with Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, the fantasy follow-up “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters,” the “Cars” spinoff “Planes” (though it isn’t being made by Pixar) and superhero sequel “Kick-Ass 2.”

“Iron Man 3” may turn out to be the last hurrah with Robert Downey Jr. in the role — beyond more Avengers films — but if that’s to be, the actor assured his place in cinematic superhero history. Iron Man will join a small, elite group of costumed crusaders who’ve enjoyed a hugely popular series of films, due not only to their charismatic stars but also to their adherence to their comic book foundations. In fact, “Iron Man 3” offers viewers two major components from the character’s rich comic book chronicles.

May 3: 'Iron Man 3' – photo courtesy Disney.

Finally, here in the third film, Iron Man’s greatest foe takes the stage. The Mandarin first appeared in 1964’s Tales of Suspense No. 50, a Chinese “super-menace” who went on to bedevil Tony Stark time and time again over five decades. The character began as a throwback to the “Yellow Peril” villains of the pulp era, but with the added Red Scare paranoia of the early 1960s. Since then, the Mandarin’s been fleshed out to be a living, breathing opponent for the Armored Avenger, now doubly so through actor Ben Kingsley. Iron Man’s fans have waited for the mastermind’s appearance in the films catching since the barest hint of him in the first installment, and it looks like they’ve gotten their wish — in spades.

Another factor of “Iron Man 3” stems from a more recent development in the comics, although a major one nonetheless. Tony Stark’s mental manipulation of his armor in the film has it origins in comic book writer Warren Ellis’ groundbreaking 2005 Extremis storyline. In it, our hero was injected with a serum that allowed him to contain his armor’s “undersheath” in the hollows in his bones and to call the outer protective pieces to assemble around him by sheer force of will. “Extremis” became a popular and permanent part of the Iron Man mythos, one that obviously suited “Iron Man 3’s” screenwriters.
By utilizing these comic book building blocks, the Iron Man films and their Marvel brethren have created a rare synergy between the source material and the mass-market movie medium. Little wonder then why they’ve been so successful — and why it appears that “Iron Man 3” will be equally so.

There is little doubt that Congress (and by this I mean both the House and the Senate) has indeed proved itself exceptional. Oh I’m not talking about its approval rating, which has remained dismal for years, and is currently hanging in there at around 15 percent according to Gallup’s April polling.

Then again, what’s there to approve of in John Boehner’s weeping middle-of-the-road statism and Harry Reid’s angry refusal to do damn near anything, even if it’s required by law. Maybe it’s not fair to pile on to the current leaders of each house however. After all, this isn’t all that unusual.

Some form of exceptionalism has been a part of our nation since congress was created. Article 1, Section 6 of the Constitution conferred on these elected officials what is traditionally called ‘Parliamentary Exclusion’; allowing them freedom from arrest (with some very a rare exceptions) during attendance at their sessions, as well as coming from and going to them.

Additional exceptions have been created for Congress by themselves over the years. Congress for example, originally excepted themselves in 1935 from paying into and receiving benefits from Social Security; keeping their own exceptional system. In 1984 they gave themselves the choice of beginning to do so or staying in the older Civil Service Retirement System.

Even those elected after 1984 are not covered by Social Security alone however. Members additionally have a defined annuity program called the Federal Employees Retirement System that pays out to them based on a percentage of the average of their top three earning years times the number of years of service. But wait, there’s more. In addition to these two plans, there’s a 401k which matches 5 percent of their contributions up to 10 percent of their salary. Don’t bother trying to calculate the numbers folks. Let’s just say that a member with over 30 years in DC should be able to retire fairly comfortably (and you know who I mean).

There have been a number of additional exceptions over the years, including one against ‘Insider Trading’ which doesn’t allow those in the private sector to use secret inside information to profit from stock trades, but did allow those in Congress to do so. Last year’s STOCK Act (Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge) prevented members, their staffs, and federal employees making more that over $119,544 from using such knowledge to profit from these trades. In a rare bit of bi-partisanship however, Congress recently (and quietly) passed a repeal to the act by a unanimous consent that took some 10 seconds in the House and 14 seconds in the Senate according to their own records

Congressional medical care is the latest issue looking for an exception, not that it isn’t already exceptional. Congress is currently part of the very good Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), that takes care of their care; but that’s not all they can get. Members can pay $563 per year and receive care from the Office of the Attending Physician (who knew that existed) whether enrolled in the government plan or not; a plan that includes routine exams and some testing. They can additionally receive treatment at military bases, with no charge for Outpatient care and Inpatient care to be reimbursed by the members subject to FEHBP deductibles. Best of all, Congressional retirees can continue this lavish medical care after retirement at age 62 by no more than paying the employee premium rates

Apparently however, that’s not going to be good enough. Since what Congress currently has would undoubtedly qualify as a ‘Cadillac Medical Plan’, it would be liable for a tax penalty. Instead, Congress is now considering whether to allow themselves a full exception to the Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare).

After passing something that allows Congress and unelected bureaucrats to effective take over both medical insurance and medical care in the long run, a bill that none of them read, let alone understood, and whose cost estimates are proving so grossly underestimated in premium and care costs that they border on criminal; our exceptional Congress and their exceptional staffs would like to be excepted from complying with the very laws and guidelines that they insist of for the rest of us.

What unimaginable hubris this is! Not only does it violate the very concept of American equality, but it defies logic and reason that we would allow anyone who who votes for its passage to return to elective office in any form. (I can’t help but wonder if it even violates the spirit of the 14th Amendment or “Equal Protection Clause” of the Constitution.)

Perhaps what should be considered instead is a proposal for a 28th Amendment:

“Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States.”

This spring the Toledo Police Department (TPD) has 40 newly sworn officers working the streets alongside its veteran cops; literally alongside because TPD requires its new officers to complete five months of field training following graduation from the academy.

Toledo police officer Michelle Sterling simulates the single officer’s response to an active shooter during a recent training day at a vacant school on the East Side. Toledo Free Press Photo by Dave Willinger.

Those new officers and an upcoming fall class of 50 additional recruits are replacing cops lost to retirement and helping grow a force that in recent years has fielded lower officer:citizen ratios than recommended by professional law enforcement associations.

February’s academy grads hit the streets of Toledo with nearly twice the state-required course hours of law enforcement curriculum under their belts, said Lt. Gerard Matwiejczyk, commander of the Toledo police academy, who told Toledo Free Press the latest class logged an additional 400 hours of instruction over and above the nearly 600 hours required by the state.

At the Toledo police academy, Matwiejczyk said, trainees learn about the elements of an arrest, including evidence processing and subject control. They are taught tactics, weapon control and the proper way to write up an incident report, the commander said. While the supplementary hours of coursework often emphasize prevailing procedures and policies, Matwiejczyk said the city likes to “enhance all the important areas with hands-on training,” which includes practicing firearms skills at TPD’s Scott Park gun range and driving skills at a facility at Owens Community College.

Matwiejczyk believes in the benefits of the additional instruction.

“Since I took over [the police academy] in 2006 everybody has passed the state exam,” he said.

The Toledo police academy employs a cadre of instructors certified through the state in their areas of expertise. Toledo detectives introduce recruits to a wide range of skills from organizing a police line-up and the fundamentals of interrogation to processing a homicide scene. Because police officers are often the first on the scene of a homicide, the state requires recruits to know how to protect the evidence, safeguard the scene and do a preliminary investigation, Matwiejczyk said. The new officers must “know the exact steps [to take] when they go to a major crime scene,” he said.

In addition, officers of the vice squad lecture at the academy on illegal gambling and prostitution. When it comes to local laws of arrest and the county court system, Lucas County prosecutor Jeff Lingo and city attorney Dave Toska “log many hours to help us,” Matwiejczyk said.

Toledo is one of the last agencies in the state to operate its own police academy, said Robert Fiatal, executive director of the Ohio Police Officer Training Academy (OPOTA). Even Akron and Cincinnati, Fiatal said, no longer run a training school for police recruits, which means those cities must rely on hiring graduates from public academies, such as the academy operated by Owens Community College. Fiatal, who has headed OPOTA for four years, blames the economy for making it difficult for a municipality to sustain an academy in the face of few new hires.

“Toledo is blessed to be able to hire more officers,” said Fiatal, who retired as head of the FBI’s office in Akron after 25 years with the feds.

A wild ride

Probationary Toledo police officer Jordan Schotter demonstrated some of the skills learned in the academy on a recent midnight shift when the police radio crackled with a call of a “man with a machete.”

Schotter, 23, a graduate of St. John’s Jesuit Academy, drove his police cruiser “code 3” from the Public Safety building to an address in the Old West End to back up the officers assigned to the call. Schotter’s field training officer (FTO) Greg Zattau rode shotgun and a reporter bounced along in the uncushioned back seat of the cop car as it careened around corners and sped with “lights and sirens” through deserted intersections. For Schotter, it was just his twelfth night driving on duty. The young cop exhibited the confidence and control of a seasoned wheelman, while FTO Zattau, a 14-year veteran with a Google Earth grasp of the neighborhoods surrounding Downtown, gave his young partner succinct directions en route.

Arriving at the scene with the machete-wielder already in custody, Zattau stayed on the sidelines while his protégé assisted with “subject control.” Nobody was hurt but officers could not immediately find the large knife, which they suspected had been ditched in the dark yard behind the residence. Still, police confirmed the report, viewing damage to a clock and other items inside a house. The man “was swinging the machete all over the place,” according to another FTO on the scene.

Zattau, the FTO program coordinator, said three years with TPD is required of an officer who wants to serve as a field training officer, a volunteer role that earns the FTO a monetary stipend.

During field training, probationary officers rotate through three FTOs, usually working different shifts and patrolling various parts of the city, before finally reuniting with their first field trainer, who is responsible for their final evaluation. There is a checklist of 52 tasks that the FTOs ideally cover with their probies. Emergency driving and subject control are two examples. When a probationary officer has occasion to practice those tasks in the line of duty, the FTO will subsequently find a slow period during a shift to debrief the probie on his or her performance. If it is the determination of the FTO that a probationary officer at the end of their field training needs additional training in any areas, that probie may at the discretion of the department be held over in the field training program until the necessary skills or experience have been acquired, Zattau said.

In-service training

While the streets are a constant teacher for all officers on patrol, TPD provides anywhere between 16 and 40 hours of mandatory in-service training annually. That includes an annual firearms qualification. This spring, Toledo police are also getting specific tactical training for dealing with a so-called “active shooter” scenario as the first officer on the scene.

Running the training are Toledo SWAT officers Sgt. Dan Raab and Corey Russell, who attended a three-day instructor training course at OPOTA in Columbus in preparation for teaching the course. Veteran SWAT members Russell and Raab also contributed input for the course.

While the state might have required such in-service training in the past, Fiatal said the costs to Columbus of mandating training are considered prohibitive in this economy. Doing some quick math, Fiatal put the price tag at about $5.5 million for Ohio to administer an eight-hour course to the approximately 34,000 peace officers on the job statewide. Due to the economic climate, no such supplemental training courses have been mandated for three years, Fiatal said.

Still, Fiatal, who reports to the state attorney general, called “the protection of our children” a “priority” of his and one that is shared by Andy DeWine. To that end, OPOTA, which teaches about 800 courses a year around the state at no charge to the agencies that sign up, has been holding its single-officer responder course at locations around the state. Because of the intense hands-on nature of the training, classes are limited to 20 officers, Fiatal said. Three such training sessions took place in the Toledo area in February, he said.

OPOTA has also trained 35,000 teachers in Ohio on how to recognize someone within their schools who might exhibit indications fitting the “profile of an active shooter.” The goal is for teachers to be able to refer such an individual to guidance counselors or school psychologists or even notify law enforcement if warranted in an effort to pre-empt another school shooting, for example. The teacher training also provides tactics to increase the chance of saving the lives of teachers and students in an active shooter scenario. That training was given in Toledo in February at the Educational Service Center of Lake Erie West, said Jill Del Greco, public information officer for the state attorney general.

The OPOTA-developed active shooter course for police officers currently being taught by Raab and Russell to all Toledo police officers includes a classroom portion that covers the history of SWAT. Since Columbine in 1999, when two teenagers in a Colorado high school continued to kill even as police contained the scene, it is widely accepted that the best way to deal with such a situation is for law enforcement to engage the shooter as soon as possible, Russell said.

The goal is to “stop the killing,” Raab said. To that end officers are taught to “aggress the shooter,” in SWAT parlance, despite the personal risk. It is clear from observing such tactical training that seeking cover, for example, is not a luxury the responding officer will necessarily have when dealing with an active shooter amidst unarmed civilians.

During the tactical portion of the training in an unused school building in Toledo, officers fire real guns loaded with nonlethal, training rounds made of soft plastic, bullets that still sting and can break the skin, said Officer Michelle Sterling, a 14-year veteran. And while an anatomical dummy may stand in for a stiff, make no mistake, the training is serious business. So realistic is the mindset of the participating officers that they typically need a moment before debriefing in order to recover from the hyperventilating effects of the adrenaline dump brought on by the role-playing.

Raab or Russell conducts a performance review with each officer, including how to improve his or her tactics and technique as well as stressing those things he or she did correctly, for example, announcing their presence inside the building.

“We want the bad guy knowing we’re here,” Raab explained.

In the majority of cases, Russell said, the shooter will surrender or commit suicide when confronted by police. That confrontation is likely to be swift and lethal: the responding officer is not about to give a warning or pull out a Miranda card when an active shooter has already demonstrated the propensity for violence and potential victims are present.

Where does the city find its officer trainees?

So do you think you have what it takes to become one of Toledo’s Finest?

Police spokesman Sgt. Joe Heffernan said the city takes candidates off the list of persons who scored highest on the most recent local civil service exam. For a class of 50, the city may begin with about 200 names. Candidates are culled through background checks. Any type of felony disqualifies a person from serving. Misdemeanors such as domestic violence also automatically disqualify an individual, although a disorderly conduct arrest, for example, would not necessarily bar a candidate, Heffernan said. But lying on your application will cause you to get booted of the list.

“Dishonesty is one thing we can’t tolerate,” Heffernan said.

The cops investigate all potential candidates.

“We talk to your neighbors,” Heffernan said, explaining one aspect of the effort that goes into the department’s background investigation.

The vetted candidates then undergo a second round of testing that includes psychological and medical tests as well as a physical agility test graded on a curve according to national standards for age and sex. Candidates must be between the ages of 21 and 34 to serve, and TPD has “one of the highest percentages of women” in uniform in the country, Heffernan said.

Kate Longenecker of Perrysburg had hoped to be watching Major League Baseball as part of the MLB.com Fan Cave crew, but instead she was in the control room at Fifth Third Field, running the scores, stats and television graphics for the Mud Hens’ home opener.

Longenecker made a video to state her case and it’s posted on the MLB Fan Cave website (http://bit.ly/ votelongenecker).

She’s fine with that.

“I’ve only ever gotten anywhere with an optimistic attitude, so I was depressed for only a day,” she said about not making the final cut in the Fan Cave contest.

So despite not getting to go to spring training, or move into the New York City apartment where her job would have been to watch big-league ball games and talk about it on social media, she’s filing the contest under “fond memories” and “learning experiences” and getting ready for another Mud Hens season.

“It looks like I will be running the graphics from the production booth in the suites,” Longenecker wrote in an e-mail. “Keeping track of pitch count, score, player stats, and anything else graphics related for the television broadcast.”

Longenecker — a Philadelphia Phillies fan — was one of 52 people around the country who made the next-to-last cut out of about 10,000 applications for the Fan Cave. Those 52 hopefuls all sent in videos making their cases and asking for fan votes on the MLB.com Fan Cave page. From those, 30 were chosen to go to spring training and from those, the final nine Cave Dwellers were chosen.

This year’s cave dwellers will include Alexandria “Alex” Justice, an Indians fan from Cleveland, and Ben Wietmarschen, a Reds fan from Cincinnati.

On her video, Justice, 21, claimed that, as a student and fan of “The” Ohio State University, “I’m the nuttiest fan there could be” — and as an Indians fan on top of that, she’s one of the “most dedicated heart-filled fans in baseball.”

For his video, Wietmarschen, 28, listed his five favorite personal memories of baseball, which include chucking a roll of toilet paper at his Uncle Ted when the Reds won the World Series when he was 6 and spilling a Mountain Dew from one luxury box into another at Cincinnati’s stadium at age 10.

“I wonder if [the people in the other box] remember that,” he muses in the video. “I’d like to go back and apologize.”

Longnecker said she had been rooting for fellow Phillies fan Christine Lorigo of Boston, who made the cut for spring training, and thought Tigers fan Lindsay Beaver of Sterling Heights seemed “super passionate” and would have been “fun to watch in the Fan Cave.” Tigers fan Jay Tuohey of Clawson, Mich., was also a top-30 finalist.

But from her perch at Fifth Third Field, Longenecker said she’s ready for another season.

She’ll start work about three hours before game time, making sure all the information she needs is at hand for the game and for the half-hour pregame show.

She does similar chores for the Toledo Walleye hockey team and for Buckeye Cable Sports Network. She said she prefers the faster pace of hockey games, which also lets her be more creative with her scoreboard and stat displays and, not to mention, the Walleyes’ winning season made the job more fun.

“When the team is good I just get into it,” she said.

She’s hoping to “get into it” with the Hens as well this year.

“I’m just hoping for more wins!” she wrote. “Last year when we hit August and realized we were out of the playoffs it just wasn’t as fun. … I’m looking forward to seeing some of the faces back from last year like [right fielder Ben] Guez, [left fielder Dan] Kelly, [shortstop Argenis] Diaz — and of course getting to know the new guys. I’ll definitely need to practice spelling [Matt] Tuiasosopo, our new third baseman.”

If not a winning experience, it was a learning experience for Longenecker.

“It felt great to have support from so many people from Toledo, back home in Pennsylvania, and of course from Phillies fans all over the country,” she wrote. “I learned how useful social media can be, especially when reaching out to people you wouldn’t normally have access to.”

Ironically, she cut back on her Twitter use “because during that month it kind of consumed my life!”

We’ve all had that moment. You need some help; there’s a problem you can’t fix with the resources you have. You’ve tried reaching out for help, only to be turned away. You know who could make it work, but you have a history. They didn’t do so hot for you in the past — in fact, they haven’t done a lot of good work for anybody else either. But you’re getting desperate, and they’re the best of what’s left.

Two local pro teams had to make that awkward phone call recently.

The Detroit Tigers had a plan going into the spring: put hard-throwing Bruce Rondon in the closer position. Plan B? There was no Plan B. So when Bruce Rondon got knocked around a bit in March, the front office decided the rookie needed some time with the Mud Hens, and the Tigs would just work the ninth inning into long relief. Except —that didn’t work out either. Tigers manager Jim Leyland, known to be loyal to a fault, turned to a guy who they just fired a few months ago: Jose Valverde.

Papa Grande had a brilliant couple of years in 2010 and 2011, saving 51 consecutive games across the two seasons. His 2012 was a little less than brilliant: While he still managed 35 saves, his 3.78 ERA was pretty brutal, and he blew two games in the postseason, including Game 1 of the ALCS, where the Tigs had a 4-0 lead headed into the ninth inning only for Valverde to give up two 2-run home runs. The Pinstripes won that in 12 innings, Valverde never saw the field again and the Tigers lost the series. Detroit immediately sent Valverde packing.

Valverde made his return to Comerica Park on April 24, in front of a small crowd and with the Tigers nursing a 2-run lead over Kansas City. The crowd cheered (which, in all honesty, was a shock to me), and while Valverde’s location needed work, his speed was up to snuff and he managed the three outs to get the save. It could be luck, or it could be the greatest make-up story of all time.

Meanwhile, in Cleveland, the Cavaliers continue their post-LeBron struggles. Kyrie Irving is clearly the future of that program, but the team decided that head coach Byron Scott was not in the blueprint for success. And while wild speculation flew around that team owner Dan Gilbert wanted Phil Jackson to coach the team (and I want Warren Buffet to look at my 401(k), but that’s not going to happen either), eventually they landed on a familiar face: Mike Brown. He led the Cavs during the LeBron years to three Eastern Conference Semifinals, one Eastern Conference Final and one NBA final appearance, but never a title. The Cavs fired him in 2010 in what I thought was a poor ploy to keep LeBron in town. James went to Miami anyways.

Gilbert said at the press conference that firing Brown was a mistake, and he hopes that having him back in the fold is the missing piece to bring the Cavs back into the playoffs. Mike better hope that’s the case. He’s had two coaching gigs, and each one has been with a giant of the sport: LeBron in Cleveland and Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles. Both teams were unable to win titles (though, as we’ve clearly seen this year, the problems in the Staples Center were not on the coach).

I’ve never been one too keen on seeing athletes (or coaches) go back to tread old ground, with the lone exception of the one-day contract “so I can retire a Fill-In-The-Blank.” Too often, these decisions are made not with logic, but with nostalgic memories. Owners and fans expect the same sort of results out of these guys that they had when they were with the teams the first time. But the situation is different: the players around them are different, the coaches might be different and, quite simply, they’re older. For every Phil Jackson coming out of retirement, there’s a Michael Jordan coming out of retirement.

The early returns on Jose Valverde look positive — it could be that the Big Potato reheats easy. As for Mike Brown, he looks twice-baked to me.

We have informed clients through newsletters and warned potential clients in meetings for years about long-term fixed rate debt and how investors with exposure to bonds face substantial investment risk. Unfortunately, our warnings that bonds will pose a serious threat to investors have often fallen on deaf ears. However more professionals are waking up to the danger of fixed income going forward. Readers will also recall that we have spent a great deal of time over the last several years covering Target Date Funds (TDFs) and how they might be affected by the bond market.

This week The Wall Street Journal offered some insight on bonds and TDFs. Over the last decade TDFs have become a popular investment, as they offer an “easy button” approach to retirement. In a nutshell, TDFs take an estimated date of retirement and then build an ideal portfolio for someone of that assumed age. Aside from typically being much more expensive than standard class-A share mutual funds, these funds do not account for economic conditions in their holdings.

While we hate to reiterate this point on what seems like a daily basis, we cannot stress enough the concerns that we see coming in the bond market. The Quantitative Easing policies of the Federal Reserve have made bond prices skyrocket, which in turn have lowered yields. Many investors do not realize that bonds are traded on the open market just as stocks are, and the bond market dwarfs the U.S. equities markets. When yield rises, bond prices fall, just like a teeter-totter. When bond yields begin to rise, bond holders are going to be in for a world of hurt.

Unfortunately for TDF investors, most of these funds have a high exposure to bonds. According to the referenced article, TDFs with a target of 2015-2020 on average have anywhere from a 35 percent to 50 percent exposure to the bond market. When we foresee the problems in fixed income that we do, there is no way that we could logically suggest investors expose themselves to an investment that is near an all-time high and faces substantial risk going forward.

The unfortunate part about all of this is that most brokers who are pushing these funds have a great understanding of the products that they are selling, but not the economic environment in which they are being sold. We encourage readers who are considering purchasing TDFs or already own TDFs to request a price breakdown of these funds in comparison with a standard mid-cap growth fund along with a breakdown of fund holdings. You will notice that fees in TDFs are layered, usually much higher and commissions are higher as well.

An old saying that we toss around the office is, “You don’t get hit by the truck that you see coming.” Bonds have been a safe haven for investors for so long that many refuse to accept the fact that there is serious downside risk in that sector. We only hope that investors take some time to reevaluate their holdings and are aware of what they own.

Ben Treece is a 2009 Graduate from the University of Miami (FL), BBA International Finance and Marketing. He is a partner with Treece Investment Advisory Corp (www.TreeceInvestments.com) and a stockbroker licensed with FINRA, working for Treece Financial Services Corp. The above information is the express opinion of Ben Treece and should not be construed as investment advice or used without outside verification.

Once again we witness another horrible, horrible tragedy. This time it took place at the 2013 Boston Marathon where two brothers set off multiple bombs, killing three people and injuring 176 others, many of them severely. Some of those injured lost limbs and others are facing amputations and other injuries that are life-changing.

I (Mark) can’t imagine what the survivors and their families are going through right now. They have been hurt so deeply by this that their lives will never be the same. Those who were injured and those who lost family members will have this tragedy forever on their minds.

If you are a believer in God, I suggest you be in constant prayer for those affected by this tragedy. There are also other ways to show support, such as various relief funds that have been established. Below is a list of ways to help some of the victims of the bombing. This list was taken from The Huffington Post website.

Jeff Bauman, a spectator who lost both legs in the aftermath of the blasts, will likely face hefty medical bills as he begins to recover. To help offset the costs, friends and family have launched the Bucks For Bauman fundraiser. Bauman’s family is also asking people to send letters of support to Jeff. Mail can be sent to: Jeff Bauman, c/o Jen Joyce, 117 Tyngsboro Road, Westford, MA 01886 or Jeff Bauman, c/o Jen Joyce, P.O. Box 261, Chelmsford, MA 01824.

In lieu of flowers, the family of Krystle Campbell, a 29-year-old woman from Medford, Mass., who was killed in the explosions, has asked supporters to make donations to the Krystle M. Campbell Memorial Fund. Contributions can be sent to 25 Park St., Medford, MA 02155

While waiting for their dad to cross the finish line, Martin Richard, 8, was killed in the blast and his younger sister, whose name has not been released, had her leg amputated in the aftermath. Their mother, Denise, was also hospitalized with serious injuries. To help the family get through this devastating period, friends and family have established the Richard Family Fund.

Brothers Paul and JP Norden each lost their right legs following the Boston attacks and Paul’s girlfriend, Jacqui Webb, has already undergone two surgeries for shrapnel damage to her legs. To help the three victims pay for their overwhelming medical bills, friends and family have established the Jacqui, Paul and JP Recovery Fund.

Friends and family of Patrick and Jessica Downes, newlyweds who each had a leg amputated after the blasts, are raising money for the couple’s medical bills.

This tragedy will be forever remembered along with 9/11 and will remind us of the evil that is in the world. Why do bad things happen to good people? I think the answer lies in the fact that we all have the capacity for good and evil. There is a battle going on in all of us and we are pulled back and forth between the two. We are affected by our own bad decisions and the bad decisions of others. No one is immune to this. This is evident by the recent suicide of the son of Rick Warren, the pastor of Saddleback Church. Rick is probably the most well-know pastor in our country today and author of the bestselling books “The Purpose Driven Life” and “What On Earth Am I Here For?” Yet, he has not escaped being hurt deeply by life.

Bad things happen, but good things come out of it. I don’t necessarily think “things happen for a reason.” Things happen. After things happen comes our response. How do we respond? Ultimately the good comes out of us. Look at the outpouring of support from our entire country in the aftermath of Boston. Rick Warren is starting a ministry based on mental illness as a result of his son’s death. We will see much more good come out of the Boston tragedy in the months to come.

Boston proves it. We are a world in need of a God and savior. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Life will hurt us and we need the support of our friends and family. What does it all mean? Why are we here? We think about this much more when events like Boston occur. I would suggest that you pick up a copy of Rick Warren’s book, “What On Earth Am I Here For?” Or better yet, there are small groups studying this book at CedarCreek Church. It is great stuff and not to be missed. In the meantime let’s all band together and keep praying.

For more information about The Retirement Guys, tune in every Saturday at 1 p.m. on 1370 WSPD or visit www.retirementguysnetwork.com. Securities and Investment Advisory Services are offered through NEXT Financial Group Inc., Member FINRA / SIPC. NEXT Financial Group, Inc. does not provide tax or legal advice. The Retirement Guys are not an affiliate of NEXT Financial Group. The office is at 1700 Woodlands Drive, Suite 100, Maumee, OH 43537. Call them at (419) 842-0550.

It’s that time of year again — you guessed it, High School Honors Band Day and for the third year in a row Owens Community College is leading the celebration. The highly anticipated concert event will fill the Center for Fine and Performing Arts Mainstage Theatre with music at 7 p.m. May 6.

“This event got started because I expressed a need for it to Doug Mead, who at that time was the department chair,” said Fred Dais, Owens adjunct instructor in fine and performing arts and High School Honors Band Day and Concert event coordinator. “He agreed that it was a great idea and here we are. We send out a letter every year around February asking schools if they have students who’d be interested in participating. Our first year we had 42 students, last year we had 50 and this year we have around 80 students from 11 different schools. Many students keep coming back year after year at no cost to themselves or their school. High School Honors Band Day is designed to allow Northwest Ohio’s young and aspiring musicians to come together, learn from each other and experience the joy of music in a fun environment.”

Throughout the daylong event, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities in preparation for the High School Honors Band Concert, including seating auditions, full-band rehearsal and sectional-band rehearsal.

Concert selections presented by the group will include “American Salute,” “New York: 1927,” “Sabre and Spurs March,” “Dances Americanesque,” “Southwest Saga” and a tribute to the Broadway “Jersey Boys” production. Community members serving as conductors during the concert are Owens School of Health Sciences Dean Doug Mead and recently retired Southview High School Band Director Tim Hoffman.

“We just want to get students as involved as possible. They’ve invested a lot of time and hard work and we want to let them know that there are band programs in their community beyond high school. You don’t even have to register for band at Owens — you can just come and play. Many community colleges are starting community bands to fill a void. Many kids don’t realize how much they’ll miss playing after they graduate and they shouldn’t have to.”

Tina Waynick is back in the race.
Really, she never left.
Waynick — who finished the Boston Marathon 10 minutes before two homemade bombs tore through the finish-line crowds, killing three — ran in Toledo’s Medical Mutual Glass City Marathon on April 28 as part of a team of people who also ran at Boston.
The five team members were Waynick, a Flower Hospital nurse living in Adrian, Mich., her friend Jill Stockford from nearby Tecumseh, running acquaintance Theresa Mariea, a runner from Ann Arbor and a runner from Toledo.

Toledo resident Julia Torres holds a sign at the Glass City Marathon on April 28 in honor of the Boston Marathon bombing victims. Photo by John Barden.

They ran as a team, Waynick said, as sort of a tribute to Boston.
It’s not really about running fast or running well but as a tribute, in honor of the lives lost and changed, she said.

The team members will wear their Boston Marathon jerseys.

They linked up through mutual friends and acquaintances and stepped off the starting line as a relay team — officially Team 3312, unofficially Boston Strong.

“One of the girls I work with had a family member who was there (in Boston) and she connected me … with the Road Runners Club (in Toledo),” Waynick said.

After talking to Mariea, who is the cross country coach at St. Ursula Academy, they came up with the idea of forming a relay team.
“I told Jill [Stockford] and she told somebody,” Waynick said. “And Boston Strong was born.”